Perry sends helicopters to Palo Pinto County fires

Gov. Rick Perry has dispatched two helicopters to assist 14 local and volunteer fire departments battling multiple blazes in North Texas.

The governor said in a statement Sunday that two fires burning in Palo Pinto County had charred 33,000 acres.

A third fire began burning in the Possum Kingdom Lake area, but officials and aircraft kept it from spreading.

Last year, fires twice scorched Possum Kingdom Lake, a picturesque community 75 miles west of Fort Worth. They destroyed about 160 homes there in April 2011 and another 40 homes four months later.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday that firefighters were gaining ground on the latest blazes, which have threatened at least 18 homes. No evacuations had been ordered and there were no reported injuries or damage to structures.